Ice Princess
by Chiera
Summary: He had been in the same class with her for a while, but had never really even tried to talk to her. She was polite and kind, but always keeping everyone at a distance. A chance encounter offers them an opportunity to see each other in a different light. AU, Oneshot.


**Disclaimer:**All the characters featured in this oneshot belong to the creator of _Bleach_, Kubo Tite. I own no rights and make absolutely no profit. I'm just a fan writing for fans.

Ice Princess

Ichigo took the bentou box his sister had packed for him, and peeled off the cloth in which it was wrapped. As he gulped down the first mouthful of rice, his brown eyes studied his friend who was leaning eagerly over the rail. Asano Keigo was, frankly put, annoying. He was overly dramatic, exaggerated everything at every given chance and his reactions were always over done. In addition to that all, he was all too interested in girls in Ichigo's opinion.

They were all spending the lunch break at their usual spot on the roof, all of their gang. Ichigo, who looked like a _yankee_ and was always bearing a dark scowl, Asano Keigo, the hopeless skirt-chasing drama king. Sado Yasutora, the silent and gigantic student with foreign blood, and lastly, Kojima Mizuiro, a typical teen aged boy whose youthful and innocent face hid behind it of a true playboy.

"This spot is the best~!" sighed Keigo blissfully as he peered over the railing at the edge of the roof. Ichigo fought the urge to roll his eyes. He did not even need to see for himself what Keigo was looking at so intently. Ichigo and his friends were not the only group with a regular lunch break spot, after all.

There, out in the school yard, sitting in a circle on the green grass was the group comprised of some of the girls in their class.

"Orihime-chan, you're so lovely today too~!"

"Shuddup, Keigo," Ichigo barked out. "Your disgusting stalking habits are making me lose my appetite."

Keigo's face immediately twisted into a heavy pout.

"You're no fun, Ichigo! You're too weird! How can you not be interested in girls?"

"Why should I go crazy at the sight of a skirt?" the orange-haired boy huffed before shoving more of his lunch down his throat.

Sado stayed silent and Mizuiro shook his head while smiling. Keigo was still pouting, but forgot his upset mood the moment he turned back around to stare at the group of girls eating their lunches down below.

"We're so lucky to have this many pretty girls in our class!" Keigo went on endlessly, praising the girls with all of his might. "Well, Arisawa's too violent and Chizuru's too weird… And Kunieda isn't really my type either; she's too silent and always carrying a book around…"

"You just don't like her, because she's smart and makes you feel like an idiot." Ichigo supplied.

"Shut up! Besides, Orihime-chan is my type, anyway! That great body of hers…. And then there's Kuchiki-san! She's so slender and elegant, and she's always so polite… She's a true _ojou-sama_!"

"I don't really like Kuchiki," Mizuiro suddenly spoke up. His pensive gaze landed on the girl sitting on the green grass with her legs tucked neatly under her. She gracefully swept the one troublesome strand of hair always falling onto her face behind her ear while she followed the conversation her friends were having, a small polite smile on her face.

"She's too cold," Mizuiro said and turned away.

Ichigo glanced at his friend, mildly surprised.

"Cold? What are you talking about, Mizuiro?" Keigo wailed loudly. "Kuchiki-san is really nice! She's kind to everyone in our class!"

"Yeah, that's what I mean," Mizuiro said, shaking his head. "Sure, she is polite, but she seems to treat everyone exactly the same. It's like she's never really allowing anyone close to her. An ice princess, that's what she is."

Ichigo frowned as he considered Mizuiro's words, and found that he agreed with his friend's opinion. Kuchiki was always friendly to everybody, but now when Ichigo thought about it, he wasn't sure if the girl had any close friends at all.

oOoOo

"I'm back," Ichigo called at the door. He took off his shoes at the entrance and walked into the house.

"Ah! Welcome back, Ichi-nii!" his sister Yuzu said, coming from the kitchen to meet him. "I'm preparing dinner; it should be ready in half an hour."

"Ok." Ichigo looked closer at his younger sister and the cooking in process. Usually Yuzu was already setting the table by the time he came home.

"Did something happen?" he questioned.

"Not at all. I went to the skating rink with my friends after school, so I couldn't start the dinner preparations as early as usual. I did hurry home, though."

"Stupid," Ichigo said, a smile tugging the corner of his lip, "you could have had fun with your friends a bit longer, Karin and I would've been okay."

"That's what I told her," Karin's voice came from the living room, where she was watching TV. "Let it drop, Ichi-nii. Yuzu can't help herself."

At that point, Karin's cell phone went off, and she promptly answered it. After a short conversation, Karin hung up.

"It was dad," she informed her siblings. "He said he will be late."

"Hmph!" Yuzu huffed.

"The old man also said that he tried to call you first, Yuzu, but you didn't answer."

"Oh, I must have forgotten to change the mode back from mute," the girl said, reaching to her pocket where her phone was tucked in. Then, her eyes widened.

"Wah, I forgot it!"

"Forgot what?" Ichigo asked.

"My phone! I must have forgotten it at the skating rink! What should I do?" the anxious young girl fretted.

"Don't worry," Ichigo assured, "I'll go and get it."

"But – "

"It's fine. Just make sure the dinner's ready when I get back!"

Ichigo went up the stairs and tossed his schoolbag onto the floor next to his desk. Then he quickly changed from his school uniform to casual wear.

Going back downstairs, he told his sisters that he would be back soon, and stepped out the door.

oOoOo

Ichigo arrived at the skating rink and walked in, heading for the reception.

"Hey," he called to the receptionist.

"Welcome," the receptionist welcomed him with a swift bow. "I'm sorry, sir, but the skating rink is currently reserved for Mr. Ukitake."

"Oh, I'm not here for that," Ichigo shrugged. "My sister forgot her phone here."

"Is that so? Let me check the lost and found box…"

After a while of rummaging through the said box, the receptionist turned back to Ichigo.

"I'm sorry," she said. "No phone has been brought in today."

"Would it be possible to go to the rink and search there? It'd probably be somewhere on the bench rows of the stands."

"As long as you will not disturb the practise, you may go to look for the phone," the receptionist smiled.

Ichigo nodded gratefully.

"Thanks."

He slipped unnoticed into the great hall. He looked at the countless rows of benches in the stands circling the ice. Finding the phone here would be so troublesome. Then, he realised there was an easier way out. He dug out his own cell phone, and was just about to dial in Yuzu's number, when the powerful keys of a piano echoed in the hall. He jumped, almost dropping his phone. A slow and tender piano melody began to flow, with pauses in between. Then, his attention was drawn to something new.

It was Kuchiki Rukia, the girl from his class. There was a gentle yet mysterious smile on her lips as she slid onto the ice effortlessly. She moved to the music softly, weaving her arms in the air, as if expressing and living the melody echoing in the hall. She glided backwards with smooth elegance and Ichigo's eyes widened when she suddenly sprang up into a twirling jump. She landed gracefully and picked up her pace, as the tempo of the music accompanying her skating grew. The quick steps seemed to be like a routine for her, the slight jump from which she landed into a smooth pirouette must have been practised hundreds of times, and each of her moves bespoke of joy of life.

Still, what enthralled him the most was the smile she wore on her lips. He had never seen such open and joyful expression on her face before.

After a long and graceful glide, he noticed her preparing for another jump. A premonition struck him the moment he saw her launch in the air, and he was moving before he even realised it itself.

oOo

Rukia knew the moment she spun in the air that she would not be able to land properly this time. However, the impact she had braced herself for never came. She did not collide with the cold surface of ice, but with something soft instead, something which gave off a big "oof" as the air escaped its lungs. Rukia saw a young man, whose hat had slid over his eyes, and who had rushed to catch her.

Her eyebrows knit together in a frown.

"Idiot!" she chastised her saviour. "That was really dangerous! You're lucky the blades didn't hit you!"

"Shut up," the young man mumbled and he lifted his hand to push the hat off his face.

Rukia blanched and her eyes widened.

"I-Ichigo?"

"Yo!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" she stammered, confused. A slight blush tinted her cheeks as she took in the sight of her classmate right before her. The many times she had watched him, her blue eyes trailing his steps… And now he was suddenly here, and watching _her_.

"My sister came to skate with her friends earlier and forgot her phone."

"Oh."

"Now, how long do you plan on staying on top of me?" the young man grunted.

Rukia's blush darkened and she hastily got back up onto her skates.

Ichigo got up and then turned his back on her.

The gesture for some reason made her feel a bit disappointed, and she frowned as she followed him awkwardly making his way back to the stands, trying his best not to slip on the treacherous ice.

When she saw he was safely off the ice, and he seemed to flip out his cell phone completely ignoring her, Rukia huffed to herself and skated off. She slid across the ice with increasing speed, in an attempt to vent the annoyance suddenly welling inside of her.

She was so stupid! What had she been expecting? Just because _she_ was sorta interested him, just because he had saved her from falling, didn't mean he actually cared for her or anything.

Grinding her teeth, Rukia threw herself into a wild pirouette, as if the fast spinning could empty her head from all the distracting thoughts.

oOo

Meanwhile, Ichigo was walking midst the rows of seats, trying to locate the sound of Yuzu's ringtone. Judging by the increasing volume, he was getting close. And true enough, he soon found the pink phone, lying innocently on an empty seat. He stopped calling Yuzu, and then pocketed both phones.

He turned around and saw that Rukia was once again sliding on the ice, lost in her little world. For some reason she almost reminded him of a butterfly, the elegant, effortless way that gave the illusion of almost flying… Ichigo walked back down to the rink and leaned against the side, his eyes keenly following the small girl's skating form. Ice princess, indeed! Mizuiro had struck closer to the mark than he could have guessed. A smile tugged the corner of Ichigo's mouth. Still, the Rukia he had seen here today was nothing like the girl in his class. She seemed somehow more open. She seemed somehow much happier, when she was gliding on the transparent surface. She was not cold, or reserved, no, her every move spoke of life and self-expression. Curiosity started nagging him.

"Oy!" Ichigo called to her.

The girl stopped, and glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Come over a bit."

Rukia raised her eyebrow, but did as he had asked, glided over and crossed her arms as she stopped in front of him.

"What is it?"

"What are you doing here exactly?"

"Training, isn't that obvious?"

"But why are you all by yourself?"

"Neither one of my coaches could make it today. Ukitake-sensei is ill and Kaien-sensei said something about having to accompany his wife."

"You're really good, you know," Ichigo said, slight awe in his voice. "How come I have never seen or heard of you winning competitions and whatnot?"

"Nii-sama doesn't allow me to compete," Rukia replied, lowering her gaze. "He thinks the pressure and stress would be too much for me. I would have wanted to go to a high school that would have specialised in sports, but Nii-sama didn't want me to move away from Karakura."

"Doesn't that annoy you?"

"Not really," Rukia said simply. "It'll only be a few more years until I come of age. And no matter how my Nii-sama would try to stop me, I'm going to go to the college I want. One with proper sport programmes." she paused for a while, before she added: "Besides… I know Nii-sama is only trying to protect me in his own way."

Ichigo nodded slowly, not feeling entirely convinced.

"You really like skating, huh?" he said, with a half-smile tugging the corner of his lip.

"Yes, I do," she replied, frowning slightly. "Why?"

"You look different when you're on the ice."

"What do you mean?" the girl asked, confused.

"You look so… open. In the school you always kind of have this… feeling around you, which makes you unapproachable."

"Sometimes it's hard to let people close," she muttered cryptically and averted her eyes.

"I prefer you like this," he blurted, but immediately regretted it as his ears burned with embarrassment.

She looked at him in surprise, eyes wide. A faint blush rose on her cheeks.

For a while an awkward silence hung heavy in the air.  
>"Uhh, I should get back home before the dinner gets cold," Ichigo hastily decided.<p>

"Yeah… I should get back to my practice so that I can get back home before it gets dark."

"Will you be alright by yourself?" Ichigo asked, frowning. He couldn't tell why, but for some reason he felt a bit concerned for the girl.

Rukia looked at the young man pointedly.

"I can take care of myself," she huffed and then slid away, circling back to the centre of the ice.

For a while he just stood there, watching as she once again started her routine from the very beginning, his eyes keenly following the easy, effortless slide, the expressive hands and arms and the mysterious smile on her face. Then, he tore his gaze off her and turned to leave.

oOoOo

He did not know what it was exactly that compelled him after the encounter – he just knew he was curious, and he really wanted to get to know her better for some reason. He had not forgotten the smile of joy that had lit up her pretty face, not the graceful way she had glided on the ice.

First it was just a few hesitant greetings when they'd pass each other in the hall way or classroom at school. He had been nervous the first time he had wished her good morning – other than the chance encounter on the ice rink, they had not really talked or anything, even though they had been in the same class for a while.

She had looked up at him, surprised, but then had wished him good morning back. There had been a taken aback look in her deep violet blue eyes and her cheeks had been slightly flushed.

For some reason, that had both made him feel more nervous and a little excited as well.

It continued like that for a while, before they started to exchange a few more words than just standard greetings.

By the end of the week, they had been seen in a fluid conversation several times. All around them, a speculative buzz of circulating rumours started to spread, but either the two were not aware that they were being the hot topic of discussion, or then neither of them simply cared about such things.

He even had been waiting for her at the school gate on a couple of occasions, and they had been witnessed walking home together.

That, of course, just added fuel to the fire, which was swiftly spreading through the whole school. The verdict, of course, was quite clear: Kurosaki and Kuchiki were dating.

When, after a while, their friends hesitantly questioned the two of them, unable to contain their curiosity any longer, neither Rukia nor Ichigo confirmed that rumour to be true.

"I don't dislike him though," Rukia added in a soft murmur, a slight blush staining her cheeks.

Try as they might, her classmates were not able to wring any more information from the petite girl.

"Dating?" Ichigo echoed, his face bearing his trademark scowl. "It's not like that."

"What _is_ it like then?" Keigo had cried out impatiently.

Ichigo frowned at the question.

"I don't know," he had replied after a while, his voice hesitant.

oOo

Lounging on the rooftop, on their regular lunching spot, the general mood was quite different from before. Sado Yasutora was still mostly silent, and Kojima Mizuiro was still smiling, but there were some changes as well.

Asano Keigo hung over the railing, again looking at the group of lunching girls from a distance.

This time, though, Kuchiki Rukia was not sitting among them.

"It's soooo unfair," Keigo wailed. He spun around and turned to look at his orange-haired friend just as he was offering a juice box to the petite girl sitting right next to him.

Even though the couple sat with Ichigo's friends, and were not seated more than a few yards from them, there seemed to be a kind of an impenetrable aura surrounding them, closing them off to their own little world.

"Ichigo was not even all that interested in girls, so how come he's the one who got a girlfriend?"

"We're not dating," the two responded almost simultaneously, in unison that was so in sync that it sounded practiced – even though it was not.

Mizuiro shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

They might be denying it for now, but everyone around them already knew the truth.

It would happen eventually, it was only the matter of time.

**The End**


End file.
